


the best of you

by nonbinarywithaknife (littleboxes)



Series: dimension 20 [53]
Category: Dimension 20 (Web Series)
Genre: Babysitting, F/F, Fluff, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:27:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25518790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleboxes/pseuds/nonbinarywithaknife
Summary: Kristen does some overthinking.
Relationships: Kristen Applebees/Tracker O'Shaughnessey
Series: dimension 20 [53]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1706107
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21
Collections: Dimension 20 Fic Exchange 2020





	the best of you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [juicywizard](https://archiveofourown.org/users/juicywizard/gifts).



> title from nfwmb by hozier

Kristen is watching Martha, Lee, and Pep chase each other around the swings when she feels Tracker wrap an arm around her waist.

“Hey, babe,” she says, the greeting familiar by now. Or, sort of. It’s weird, _babe_. It’s a weird word, it’s a word Kristen’s been overthinking lately (as opposed to the normal overthinking of, everything, generally) and, it just feels... it feels _something_ , to say that out loud.

 _Babe_.

It’s such a weird word, and not one that Kristen ever really thought about before, well. Before freshman year. She hadn’t thought about a lot of things before freshman year. 

But she remembers the end of her and Tracker’s first proper date, standing awkwardly together on the dark sidewalk, Kristen darting a peck onto Tracker’s cheek and saying, _thanks babe!_ frantically before, well. Sprinting away.

They are way past the first date, by now. Still, though, Kristen has clung to _babe_. It’s not something her parents ever called each other. The syllables aren’t native to her tongue. But whenever she says it, Tracker’s eyes soften and the way she looks at Kristen makes her want to never stop saying it.

There’s something about the way that Kristen and Tracker call each other babe that soothes the remnants of crisis and confusion that still linger when she thinks too hard about Helio.

Babe feels like choice and stability and love. Kristen thinks about Tracker’s voice and the endearment she’d never heard her parents use for each other, and then her thoughts are interrupted by a pair of brown eyes looking playfully into her own.

“What’re you overthinking today?”

“Well, this morning it was the meaning of life, and oh, earlier today Riz asked me if you leave the mold in your fridge alone long enough, does it technically become your roommate, and I’m still unpacking the layers of _that_ \- Martha! Leave Pep alone! Don’t make me get out the acoustic guitar! You know I will!”

Their conversation is interrupted by the need to corral the three rambunctious halfling kids.

Technically, Kristen is staying with Jawbone, who has repeatedly assured her she doesn’t have to get a job if she doesn’t want to, and that he’s completely ready to take care of her.

And she appreciates it, she does. But she watches Lee wrestle in the dirt with Pep and she thinks about Cork and Bucky and feels an ache in her chest.

Thankfully, Martha, Lee, and Pep are much easier to reason with than Bucky, Bricker, and Cork.

Tracker keeps one eye on the kids and turns to face Kristen.

“Seriously, though. You have that look on your face. The existential one, I mean. Is this about YES?”

Kristen can’t stop the frown that comes over her face as Tracker brings up her god(?) and shakes her head.

“No, I mean, yeah, generally, but not right now. I guess I was just... thinking about you.”

Tracker blinks, and blushes. She reaches up to tuck a curl of her hair behind her ear in an embarrassed tick that Kristen has come to love, and she stares into Kristen’s eyes.

“Oh.”

“You’re _much_ better to think about than YES?”

“Well, I mean, I’d certainly _hope_ so.”


End file.
